Founders Day Prayer

(This is the prayer we offered at the start of our Founders Day worship, November 5, 2017)

Gracious and Loving God,

263 years ago, you gathered together a group of people who felt called to become a faith community in the Quaker tradition. These folks would become known as Deep River Friends Meeting. 263 years ago, they came together with a mustard seed of faith that existed in their hearts. They had no idea how long this venture would last. They only knew they had to be faithful to their leadings in the moment…in the times in which they lived. 263 years later, we continue to serve, worship, and minister in your name as Deep River Friends.

As we move forward, God, we offer this prayer…

Grant us a vision that will fulfill the dream you have for Deep River Friends as well as your creation and this community.

Grant us the wisdom to know how to be faithful to your will as well as good stewards of what you have provided for us this many years.

Grant us the courage we need to move forward when we need to move forward…and the courage to take the risks we need to take so that we can be faithful to your will and speak truth to power when the times calls for us to do so.

Grant us the patience we need when the way forward seems unclear and we want to make things happen in our own time and in our own way.

Grant us the love that we need to have for one another…the kind of love that binds us together in perfect harmony even when we get irritated, annoyed, and impatient with each other.

Grant us the grace we need so that all who enter into our midst will experience the same grace through our welcome, acceptance, and love that enables them to feel at home with us and with you.

Grant us the humility that is necessary to have so that we are able to admit when we are wrong, repent when we need to repent, and correct our ways when we need to correct our ways both individually and as a faith community.

And, God, grant us your Spirit so that we, like your son Jesus, will empty ourselves of everything we are so that we can be present and available to serve you, serve one another, and serve this city in which we live. May we be an incarnation of your presence in this community and may we be faithful to your kingdom of love and mercy.